1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of performing a surgical procedure and to an associated surgical instrument support tray and, more specifically, it relates to a system wherein instrument-identifying indicia are provided on a surgical instrument support tray in the general sequence in which the instruments will be employed in a particular surgical procedure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The medical well-being of mankind has benefited tremendously in this century due to enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and procedures, improved pharmaceuticals and the enhanced skill of the surgeon.
Tremendous coordination is required in the surgical suite in order to successfully perform a surgical procedure. Not only are sterility and highly efficient coordination among the chief surgeon, assistants, nursing staff and anesthesiologists required to make a surgical procedure successful, but also efforts must be made to do no harm to the patient.
In a typical surgical procedure, a surgeon will employ a large number of hand-held surgical instruments in a specific sequence depending upon both the specific procedure being performed and the preference of the particular surgeon. As there are on the order of hundreds of different surgical instruments in general use, in addition to their being various sizes and other variations within these general categories, it becomes critical that the surgical assistants be able to deliver accurately the specific instrument called for by the surgeon in a rapid and highly reliable manner. Unfortunately, there are situations in the surgical environment wherein either experienced knowledgeable assistants make careless mistakes or assistants who are inadequately skilled are not able to identify by name the particular surgical instrument called for by a surgeon. Such errors can have a substantial detrimental impact upon the surgery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,271 discloses the use of a sheet of silicone rubber with a non-slip surface with the material draped over the patient who is lying in a horizontal position. Surgical instruments are placed on this piece of material which is positioned in relatively close adjacency to the incision. It is stated that even though the surface may be inclined, the non-stick characteristics will resist undesired falling of the surgical instruments off of the sheet.
Despite the foregoing, there remains a need for improved handling of surgical instruments during surgery so as to enhance the likelihood that potentially life saving or life threatening surgical procedures can be performed with a higher degree of efficiency.